Multiple thread plug closure



y 4, 1965 o. FRIEDL 3,181,725

MULTIPLE THREAD PLUG CLOSURE Filed March 26, 1963 .711 van/0r:

0H0 Frill 1 H h 0 Mtsl'un United States Patent 3,181,725 MULTIPLE THREAD PLUG CLQSURE Otto Fried], Sudliche Romerstrasse 18, Altenstadt, Upper Bavaria, Germany Filed Mar. 26, 1963, Ser. No. 268,113 15 Claims. (Cl. 22039) The invention relates to a multiple thread plug closure for collapsible and other tubes, bottles, and the like. The closure consists of a cap or a plug, fitting on or in the neck of the container, and is provided with two or more grooves which widen and have a large pitch at their outer ends, whereas this pitch decreases steadily or progressively toward the other end. The neck of the closure is provided with projections or bosses which engage in the recesses. Conversely, the neck might have the grooves, and the cap the bosses.

It is an object of the invention to produce a closure which attains a tight seal by simply inserting the loose part of the closure, i.e., the cap or plug, in the fixed part, such as the neck, of the container merely with slight axial pressure.

The simplest closures heretofore known for collapsible tubes and similar containers consist either of a simple stopper which is inserted in the neck, or else of an elastic cap which is put on the fixed closure part. Such closures are usable for glass bottles and similar containers wherein no substantial pressure occurs. However, in all other instances, these closures do not suflice for a reliably tight seal of the opening of the container.

Hence, screw closures usually are employed wherein the loose part is screwed onto the closing portion of the container fixed thereto. In some instances, the screw threads have a steep pitch to facilitate speed in closing or opening. Whereas with these closures a fairly tight seal is effected, it is necessary to exercise rotary motions after setting the cap on the neck or any loose closure part on the fixed one. The same is true for so-called bayonet closures which, furthermore, require the rotary motion at such a point when the loose closure part has been moved in axial direction in a given way relative to the fixed closure part.

The problem of tightly sealing a container as described in a simple manner is solved by the instant invention by providing a multiple thread plug closure which consists of a closing cap or plug and which is to be fitted on or in the neck of the container, such as a collapsible or rigid tube, a bottle, or similar containers. One of the closure parts is provided with two or more grooves which proceed in form of a screw and have, at their outer ends, a very steep pitch and also are widened at the outer ends. The pitch steadily or progressively decreases toward the inner end. The other part is provided with bosses which engage in the grooves. According to the invention, the grooves and the bosses engaging therein are shaped so that the space between the contact points at the groove walls becomes smaller toward the inner end of the grooves so that finally the bosses wedge or jam therein.

With such a multiple thread plug closure a foolproof seal is attained by mere plugging in of the loose, or detachable, closure part, i.e., the cap or plug, which reliably sits tight in Or on the fixed closure part, e.g., the neck of a bottle or tube. When the grooves, below the widened ends, have parallel walls, the bosses engaging therein must have quadrangular, square, rhombic, triangular, or elliptical cross section. On account of the inwardly decreasing pitch, the vertically measured distance ice of the groove walls decreases, so that the bosses of the shape named are squeezed toward the inside and thus are clamped tight.

Furthermore, it is proposed that the grooves are wid ened so much at their outer ends that the sides of neighboring grooves intersect at acute angles. Under these conditions, the loose or detachable closure part can be set on the fixed one practically in any desired position since the groove walls, together with the bosses, of necessity, provide that the bosses enter the grooves so that the cumbersome search for the start of the thread is averted, as is the case with thread and bayonet closures.

When the widening of the grooves starts at the inner end, i.e. when the walls are not parallel, bosses of any desired cross-section can be employed and are wedged, or clamped, tightly in the grooves without fail.

Two preferred embodiments of the invention now will be further illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it should be understood that these are given merely by way of explanation, not of limitation, and that numerous changes may be made in the details without departing from the spirit and the scope of a groove and of applicable cross sections of the bosses.

Referring now to these drawings.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 1 consists of a fixed closure part, neck 11, of a tube 12 or the like, and of a loose closure part in the form of a cap 13. The latter is fastened to the tube 12 by means of a strap 14 to prevent loss. The tube neck 14 has a plurality of curved grooves 15 whose pitch is very steep at the outer end and decreases toward the inner end. The spaces 16 formed between grooves 15 are shown .to bulge outwardly to a slight degree. This is an optional feature.

Cap 13 has in its center a cone 1'] which, when the container is closed, enters the opening 18 in tube neck 11 and serves to assure a tight seal. At its lower edge, cap 13 is provided with a plurality of bosses 19, the number of these bosses being the same as that of the grooves 15 in the tube neck 11.

The shape of the grooves 15 and of the bosses 19 is shown in FIG. 3. The action of the closure according to the invention is explained below. Groove 15 is shown diagrammatically to illustrate the coaction of a boss 19 with a groove 15. Groove 15 is greatly widened at its outer end, shown in FIG. 3 as the upper end, as compared to the lower extremity. Below the widening, the groove walls are substantially parallel and are more curved at the lower part of the groove 15 than at its upper part. At the upper part, or at the outer end, respectively, the pitch initially is very steep and decreases toward the lower part, or the inner end, respectively.

When cap 13 is set on the tube neck 11, cap 13 is centered relative to neck 11 by the bosses 19. The latter at first rest on the cylindrical part 20 of neck 11, and, by axial displacement of cap 13, the bosses 19 meet the wall of one of the grooves 15 at any given place. Due to the large widening of grooves 15 at their upper end which, as shown in FIG. 1, goes so far that the walls of any two neighboring grooves 15 meet at acute angles, a safe gliding of bosses 19 into one of the grooves 15, without probing, is assured.

FIG. 3 relies on the principle that a boss 19 meets groove wall '21 in position A when cap 13 first is positioned near the upper or outer end, respectively, of groove 15. By exerting slight pressure in axial direction upon cap 13, boss 19 now glides, with its edge 33, along wall 21 of groove 15, whereby cap 13 is imparted a slight turn, until boss 19 has reached position B. Boss 19 then is positioned entirely within the part of groove 15 which has parallel walls, but solely, for all practical purposes, adjoins and contacts the right wall 2-1 of groove 15 with its right lower edge 22. Upon further axial displacement, a further turn of cap 13 takes place. This effects that the left upper edge 23 of boss 19 also comes to rest on groove 15, namely at its left wall 24. At this further displacement the distance of the groove walls 21 and 24, corresponding to the decreasing pitch of groove 15, between the points at which edges 22 and 23 rest upon groove walls 21 and 24, respectively, becomes smaller so that boss 19 is wedged, or jammed, in groove 15 when in position C.

In that position, a simultaneous sealing of opening 18 occurs.

In the preceding explanation, the behavior of a boss 19 was used having a rectangular cross section. In principle, the conditions are the same when the bosses 19 have square, rhombic, triangular or elliptical cross section. When, however, the bosses 19 have a circular diameter, the grooves must become narrower toward the inner or lower end, respectively.

FIG. 2 shows the upper end of a tube 31 having a cylindrical neck 32 in whose bore 33 bosses 34 are provided near the opening and point inwardly. A closing plug can be inserted in bore 33. This cap is formed slightly conically and has, at its lower end, a short cone 36. The conical part 37 of the plug has curving flanges 38 between which grooves 3 are disposed, formed by these flanges. The pitch of the grooves 3& is very steep at their outer ends and decreases towards the inside, i.e., toward the top. The walls of grooves 39 are parallel to each other. The front ends 46, pointing toward the outside, of flanges 38 are rounded. Grooves 39 coact with bosses 34 in the same manner as bosses 19 with grooves 15 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1.

I claim as my invention:

1. A closure for containers comprising, in combination, a hollow fixed closure part of undivided cylindrical shape disposed on said containers; a fully detachable closure part of undivided cylindrical shape fitting said fixed part; one of said parts being provided with a plurality of bosses; the other with a corresponding number of grooves substantially running the length of said part forming, in their totality, a screw and having widened outer ends, a steep pitch at said outer ends, and a decreasing pitch toward their inner ends; said grooves approaching a vertical direction; said bosses engaging without probing, in said grooves upon placement of said detachable part on said fixed closure part and, by exertion of but slight axial pressure on said detachable closure part, being driven into said grooves and being wedged therein near said inner end, due to said decreasing pitch, thereby providing the actual closure of said container and insuring a tight seal.

2. A closure for containers comprising, in combination, a hollow fixed closure part consisting of a single undivided cylinder afiixed to said container and provided with a plurality of grooves on its outside, said grooves forming, in their totality, a screw substantially running the length of said fixed part, having a steep pitch at their outer ends, said pitch decreasing toward their lower ends, and approaching a Vertical direction; and a fully detachable closure part consisting of a single undivided cylinder provided with a plurality of bosses, corresponding in number to that of said grooves, at its lower end and on its inside; said bosses engaging, without probing, in said grooves upon placement of said detachable part on said fixed part and, by exertion of but slight axial pressure on said detachable part, being driven into said grooves and being wedged therein near said inner end due to said decreasing pitch, thereby providing the actual closure of said container and insuring a tight seal.

3. A closure for containers comprising, in combination, a hollow fixed closure part consisting of a single undivided cylinder and provided with a plurality of bosses near its opening and pointing inwardly; and a fully detachable closure part fitting said fixed part and having, on its outside, a plurality of grooves corresponding in number to that of said bosses; said grooves substantially running the length of said part, and in their totality, forming a screw having unconnected threads open at the lower end and widening at their outer ends, having a steep pitch at said outer ends, said pitch decreasing toward their inner ends, said grooves approaching a vertical direction toward the lower end of said part; said grooves engaging, without probing, said bosses upon placement of said detachable part on said fixed part and, by exertion of but slight axial pressure on said detachable part, entering said grooves and being wedged therein near their inner end, due to said decreasing pitch, thereby providing the actual closure of said container and insuring a tight seal.

4. In a closure for containers having a hollow cylindrical fixed part and a fitting detachable part, one of said parts being provided with a plurality of bosses and the other with a corresponding number of grooves forming, in their totality, a screw, the improvements which comprise, in combination, forming said grooves with widened outer ends and with a steep pitch at their outer ends, said pitch decreasing toward their inner ends; said grooves running substantially the length of said part and forming a screw approaching a vertical direction; said bosses, upon placement of said detachable part on said fixed part and by exertion of but slight axial pressure on said axial part being driven into said grooves and being wedged therein near the inner end, due to said decreasing pitch thus providing the actual closure of said container and ensuring a tight seal.

5. The closure as defined in claim 1, wherein said grooves are widened at their outer ends to the extent that the flanges of neighboring grooves intersect at acute angles.

6. The closure as defined in claim 1, wherein said grooves have substantially parallel walls.

7. The closure as defined in claim 6, wherein the bosses engaging in said grooves having parallel walls have a quadrangular cross section.

8. The closure as defined in claim 6, wherein the bosses engaging in said grooves having parallel walls have a square cross section.

9. The closure as defined in claim 6, wherein the bosses engaging in said grooves having parallel walls have a rhombic cross section.

10. The closure as defined in claim 6, wherein the bosses engaging in said grooves having parallel walls have a triangular cross section.

11. The closure as defined in claim 6, wherein the bosses engaging in said grooves having parallel walls have an elliptical cross section.

12. The closure as defined in claim 1, wherein said grooves have walls tapering toward the inside and thus start widening substantially near their inner ends, and wherein the bosses engaging therein have a circular cross section.

13. The closure as defined in claim 1, wherein the spaces formed by said grooves and situated therebetween bulge slightly in an outward direction.

14. The closure as defined in claim 2, wherein said detachable part is provided with a cone at its upper inside, said cone fitting the inside of said fixed closure part.

15. The closure as defined in claim 3, wherein said detachable part is provided with a cone to insure safe guidance, at the lower part which meets the fixed part first when closing the container.

(References on foilowing page) 5 r 6, References Cited by the Examiner FOREIGN PATENTS UNITED STATES PATENTS 620,855 E 1/27 France. 1,464,692 8/23 Brbnson'et a1 215-50 12,255,289 1/61 Pram 1 ,754,027 7 15 s u 20-305 5 THERON N W Ew 2,765,600 10/56 Young -2 21s 44 7' EARLE J. DRUMMOND, Exaniinef. 

1. A CLOSURE FOR CONTAINERS COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A HOLLOW FIXED CLOSURE PART OF UNDIVIDED CYLINDRICAL SHAPE DISPOSED ON SAID CONTAINERS; A FULLY DETACHABLE CLOSURE PART OF UNDIVIDED CYLINDRICAL SHAPE FITTING AND FIXED PART; ONE OF SAID PARTS BEING PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF BOSSES; THE OTHER WITH A CORRESPONDING NUMBER OF GROOVES SUBSTANTIALLY RUNNING THE LENGTH OF SAID PART FORMING, IN THEIR TOTALITY, A SCREW AND HAVING WIDENED OUTER ENDS, A STEEP PITCH AT SAID OUTER ENDS, AND A DECREASING PITCH TOWARD THEIR INNER ENDS; SAID GROOVES APPROACHING A VERTICAL DIRECTION; SAID BOSSES ENGAGING WITHOUT PROBING, IN SAID GROOVES UPON PLACEMENT OF SAID DETACHABLE PART ON SAID FIXED CLOSURE PART AND BY EXERTION OF BUT SLIGHT AXIAL PRESSURE ON SAID DETACHABLE CLOSURE PART, BEING DRIVEN INTO SAID GROOVES AND BEING WEDGED THEREIN NEAR SAID INNER END, DUE TO SAID DECREASING PITCH, THREBY PROVIDING THE ACTUAL CLOSURE OF SAID CONTAINER AND INSURING A TIGHT SEAL. 